Apparatus for removing a foreign substance from a liquid bath

ABSTRACT

Am apparatus is provided to remove foreign particles, such as slag, from a liquid bath, such as molten steel. The apparatus includes a plate which may be moved through an angle of 90* from a vertically extending position to a horizontally extending position. The plate is located in a horizontal position beneath the particles to be removed and then raised upwardly away from the liquid bath thereby lifting the particles. A movable trolleycantilever boom arrangement is used to move the plate to a dumping station where the plate is moved to its vertical position to dispose of the particles.

United States Patent i191 Brown APPARATUS FoR REMOVING A FOREIGN SUBSTANCE. FROM A Primary Examiner-Gerald A. Dost LIQUID BATH Attorney-Walter L. Schlegei, Jr. et a]. 75 Inventor: esseC. Brown Delanco, NJ. v l J i I v [57] ABSTRACT [73] Assignee: Amsted Industries Incorporated, Am apparatus is provided to remove foreign particles, Chicago, such as slag, from a liquid bath, such as molten steel. [22] Filed; Oct 6, 1971 The apparatus includes a plate which may be moved through an angle of 90 from a vertically extending [2 1] Appl position to a horizontally extending position. The plate 52 us. Cl. ..266/37, 266/1 R I is mated in hmizomal Position beneath the Particles 51 Int. Cl ..F27d 23/00v be ,remved and raised upwardly away from 58 Field of Search ..266/l R, 37, 1 s the liquid bath r y lifting the Particles A movable trolley-cantilever boom arrangement is used to move [56] References Cited the plate to a dumping station where the plate is moved to its vertical position to dispose of the parti- UNITED STATES PATENTS cles' 3,360,254 12/1967 Helimund ..266/37 3,659,833 1972 I Grant ..266/l R Clams 4 D'awmg 3,610,603 10/l97l Schmitz... ..266/l R l 70\ i I I! 12' l 4 72- f l ,8? e 3 J6 74 I: 1: l

| 7 Q Q 1 8g Q .QJGQ h l v IT H==- =1-= I 67' :1 l r 6? 58 60 1e 1 "I ll 3 m 3 92 i 52 0 I l 0 1 592 5 11 i l v I 46 l 118 .50 '1 451/ 116 1 9a i 108 l J12 J02 26 A APPARATUS FORREMOVING A FOREIGN SUBSTANCE FROM A LIQUID BATH BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION ten steel is located in ladle-like vessels. A person generally dressed in heat reflecting clothing grasps the long-handle of the scraper and drags the downwardly extending blade across the surface of the bath forcing slagin front of the blade over the edge of the vessel.

Removal by such a process results in the placing of solidified slag on the outer surfaces of the vessel. The process is further difficult to perform and time consuming. 1

In an effort to improve the process, Applicant has designed a machine which may be used to quickly and easily remove the slag from the surface of a molten metal bath.'The apparatus is not only capable of doing the work faster but may also be used to remove slag layers which are too thick to remove by hand. Since the apparatus may be actuated solely by electrical, pneumatic or mechanical power means, the entire operation may be controlled from a distallocation removing the operator from the intense heat and other hazards that may exist.

BRIEF'DESCRIPTION OF THE INYENTION Applicant has provided a rotating cantilever, horizontally extending boom, whichmay be raised and lowered. A trolley is movable along the boom and has a scraper in the form of .a flat plate which may be used to lift a solidified foreign substance from the surface of a liquid bath. The plate is located on the end of a depend-,

ing arm and is movable from a vertical position to a horizontal position.

In use, the plate is moveddownwardly in a vertically extending position into the liquid bath. The plate is then moved to a horizontally extending position at a location in. the bath just below the solidified foreign substance. The trolley is actuated to move the plate across 7 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG.; l is a side-elevational view of-an apparatus I which may be used to remove slag-from a molten metal bath. g vFIG. 2 is a top plan view of the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1. g

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 33 of FIG. 6

. FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 44 of FIG.

2 DETAILED DESCRIPTION or THE DRAWINGS A'boom, generally indicated at 10, is secured to a support member 12 which is slideably engaged with a shaft 14. The boom 10 includes an? beam'16 which is secured at one end to a plate 18 mounted on support member 12. A support rod 20 interconnects a support beam 22 which is secured to the upper portion of plate 18 and an outward portion of I beam 16 is known manner. The mounting of boom 10 on support member 12 is such that the beam 16 will extend in a generally horizontal direction and be able to support desired loads at various portions along its length.

Shaft 14 is engaged in a base 24 for rotational movement around the shaft's axis A-A. Base 24 may be secured to the fioor 26 of a building in any number of known ways. The intere'ngagement of shaft 14 and base 24 is such as to provide easy rotational movement of shaft 14 relative to base 24.

Shaft 14 may be cylindrical in configuration and project upwardly through a cylindrical opening 28 in support member 12. The interengagement of support 12 with shaft 14 is such as to permit movement of support member 12 axially along shaft 14 while at the same time maintaining a one to one relationship between shaft 14 and support member 12 for rotational.movement around axis A-A. In the drawings this feature is accomplished by providing a pair of diametrically opposed keyways 30 along the length of shaft '14 which receives keys 32 in passage 28.

The shaft 14 and accordingly the support member 12, may be rotated around axis AA by a sprocketcha'in drive generally indicated at 34. A sprocket 36 in drive 34 is engaged with shaft 14 while a second sprocket 38 is connected to a shaft 40 which is rotatably engaged with a support plate 42 secured to base 24. A roller chain 44 interconnects sprockets 36 and 38 to transmit movement therebetween. Anyone of a number of known driving devices, not illustrated, may be attached to the drive shaft 40 of sprocket 38 to rotate sprocket 38 and thereby rotate shaft 14.

Movement of support member 12 axially along shaft 14 may be accomplished by a known cylinder and ram v device 46. The cylinder 48 maybe pivotally connected to a plate 50 which is rigidly secured to shaft 14 while the ram 52 may be pivotally connected to beam 16. The illustrated arrangement allows for rotational movement of the boom 10 and supportmember 12 about the axis A- A of shaft 14 while still pennitting movement of the boom 10 and support member 12 axially along the shaft 14. Such rotational and axial movement may occur either simultaneously or independent of one another. Other means may also be used to accomplish a similarpurpose.

A trolley arrangement 54 is engaged with boom 10 and movablealong the length of the boom. Troller 54 may include pairs of spaced wheels 56 located on either side of the center flange 58 of I'beam l6 and engaged with the lower cross member 60 as illustrated in FIG. 3. Each pair of wheels 56 may be'interconnected 'by aU-shapd member 62 secured to shafts 64 which 5 are'engaged with each of the wheels 56. The two op- Movement of trolley 54 along beam 16 may be accomplished by a sprocket-chain arrangement 68 having spaced sprockets 70 mounted in pillow blocks 72 proximate each end of boom 10. The pillow blocks 72 may be either connected directly to "l beam 16 as illustrated on the outboard end of boom or may be mounted on a plate 74 secured to 1" beam 16 as illustrated proximate support member 12. The sprockets 70 at each end of boom 10 are mounted on a common shaft 76 for one to one rotational movement. Any one of a number of known means, not illustrated, may be connected to one of the shafts in a known manner to rotate the shaft at a given rpm. As illustrated in the drawings, the known drive means are to be connected to the sprockets 70 proximate support member 12. Roller chains 78 interconnect the sprocket 70 sprockets each side of beam 16 in known manner. Chain 78 is connected to trolley 54 through means of a series of bolts 80 engaged with plates 82 and angles 84 which are secured to side plates 66.

It may readily be seen that rotational movement of sprockets 70 will move chain 78 relative to beam 16. The interconnection between the chain 78 and the trolley 54 will result in the chain pulling the trolley along its prescribed path on cross member 60. Such movement may be attributed to the rotation of wheels 56 about the axes of shaft 64. The trolley 54 will move from one end of boom 10 to the opposite and depending upon the given angular rotation of the sprockets.

An arm, generally indicated at 86, is pivotally connected to trolley 54 by means of a shaft 88 engaged in openings 90 in spaced bearing brackets 92. The bearing brackets 92 are secured intermediate the side plates 66. The shaft 88 projects through a cylindrical opening 94 in a tube 96 secured to one end of an l" beam 98 in a known manner. The pivoted connection is designed to permit the beam 98 to hang downwardly perpendicular to beam 16. The axis about which beam 98 pivots is preferably parallel to beam 16.

A blade, generally indicated at 100, has a flat plate 102 secured to a frame member, generally indicated at 104, which is pivotally connected to a bracket support 106 secured to the lower end of beam 98 by a pin 108. As illustrated in FIG. 4, frame member 104 includes a pair of spaced channels 110 secured at one end to flat plate 102 and at their other end to a plate 112. A pair of spaced members 114 are secured to plate 112 and straddle bracket support 106. Pin 108 projects through openings in plates 112 and bracket support 106..

Blade 100 may be pivoted relative to pin 108 by means of a known cylinder and ram device 116 having a cylinder 118 pivotally connected at one end to a support bracket 120 which is rigidly secured to beam 98 and a ram 122 having an end located intermediate members 114 and pivotally secured thereto at a point distal from pin 108 by means of a pin 124. In such a manner, movement of ram 122 relative to cylinder 118 will result in the pivotal movement of blade 100 about 108. Plate 102 should be capable of movement through an angle greater than 90 degrees from a position which is generally parallel to beam 16 to a position which is generally parallel to the axis A--A of shaft 14.

A typical use for the disclosed apparatus might be in the deslagging of molten metal from induction furnaces. In such an operation, the shaft 14 may be located intermediate two furnaces in such a manner that the boom 10 may be moved over either of the furnaces. In a deslagging operation, boom 10 is located over a furnace and plate 102 is located in a substantially vertical position by means of cylinder and ram device 116. Boom 10 is thereafter lowered downward toward the furnace by cylinder and ram device 46 until plate 102 is covered up to frame member 104 by molten metal. Plate 102 is pivoted upwardly into a position parallel to beam 16 by cylinder and ram device 116. Boom 10 may be further lowered until plate 102 is located below the slag. Trolley 54 may thereafter be actuated by sprocket chain drive 68 in a manner to move plate 102 across the molten metal below the slag. When the tip of plate 102 reaches the opposite end of the molten metal bath, boom 10 is raised by cylinder and ram device 46 to lift the slag on the surface of the bath away from the ladle on the upper surface of plate 102. The plate may thereafter be moved by trolley 54 and boom 10 to a distal damping location. Plate 102 may then be pivoted by cylinder and ram device 116 to dump the slag off the upper surface of plate 102.

It may readily be seen that the entire operation of the apparatus may be controlled by a master box control system located at a remote location. The control system may be operated by a person who may view the operation and control each of the given functions of the apparatus.

The given configuration of plate 102 should be governed by the operation in which the apparatus is involved. For example, in removing slag from a molten metal bath, the forward surface 126 of plate 102 should have a curved configuration conforming to the inner defining surface of the container in which the molten metal is held.

The thickness and design of plate 102 will also be governed by its given operation. It is desirable in a molten metal operation to have a solid plate that is thick enough to distribute the heat of the bath throughout its mass in such a manner as to resist melting. For high temperature use, it would be further desirable to coat plate 102 prior to each operation with a carbon black mold wash or other heat dissipating substance.

Shaft 88 has been found to be very useful in the skimming of slag from molten metal baths. This shaft permits pivotal movement of arm 86 relative to trolley 54. The elimination of the pivotal connection between arm 86 and trolley 54 could result in serious damage to trolley 54 and boom 116.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for removing a foreign substance from a liquid bath, said apparatus comprising a shaft extending in a generally vertical direction along an axis; means to rotate said shaft about said axis; a support member mounted on said shaft; means to move said support member in a direction parallel to said axis; a boom connected to said support member, said boom extending generally perpendicular to said axis; a trolley engaged with said boom, said trolley being movable along a portion of said boom; an arm connected to said trolley and extending in a direction generally parallel to said axis; a generally flat blade; means pivotally connecting said blade to said arm; and means to pivot said blade from a position generally perpendicular to said axis to a position generally parallel to said axis.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said shaft is generally cylindrical and has at least one keyway extending along its length parallel to said axis; said support member has a cylindrical shaped opening in mating engagement with said shaft; and a key is secured in said cylindrical opening in said support member, said key being mateably engaged with said keyway.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said boom comprises a beam having a center flange and a lower cross member, and said trolley includes opposed sets of wheels located on opposite sides of said center flange and engaged with a surface of said cross member, said wheels being rotatable on said cross member during movement of said trolley relative to said boom.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3 wherein a pair of spaced sprockets is located at each end of said beam on a common shaft, a chain interconnects a sprocket of each pair forming an endless path to transmit rotational movement of a sprocket on one end of said beam to a sprocket on the other end of said beam, and means interconnect said trolley and said chains to transmit movement of said chains to said trolley.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said arm is pivotally connected to said trolley for movement about an axis-which is perpendicular to the movement of said trolley along said boom.

6. An apparatus for removing substances from a liquid bath comprising a boom extending in a generally horizontal direction; means to vertically move said boom; a trolley mounted for movement on said boom, said trolley being movable horizontally along the length of said boom; an arm connected to said trolley and extending in a generally vertical direction; scraping means connected to said arm, said means being movable through an arc of at least 90 degrees from a generally vertical position to a generally horizontal position. I

7. The apparatus set out in claim 6 including means to pivotally connect said arm to said trolley.

8. The apparatus set out in claim 6 wherein said boom is a cantilever connected to said means to vertically move said boom. 

1. An apparatus for removing a foreign substance from a liquid bath, said apparatus comprising a shaft extending in a generally vertical direction along an axis; means to rotate said shaft about said axis; a support member mounted on said shaft; means to move said support member in a direction parallel to said axis; a boom connected to said support member, said boom extending generally perpendicular to said axis; a trolley engaged with said boom, said trolley being movable along a portion of said boom; an arm connected to said trolley and extending in a direction generally parallel to said axis; a generally flat blade; means pivotally connecting said blade to said arm; and means to pivot said blade from a position generally perpendicular to said axis to a position generally parallel to said axis.
 2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said shaft is generally cylindrical and has at least one keyway extending along its length parallel to said axis; said support member has a cylindrical shaped opening in mating engagement with said shaft; and a key is secured in said cylindrical opening in said support member, said key being mateably engaged with said keyway.
 3. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said boom comprises a beam having a center flange and a lower cross member, and said trolley includes opposed sets of wheels located on opposite sides of said center flange and engaged with a surface of said cross member, said wheels being rotatable on said cross member during movement of said trolley relative to said boom.
 4. An apparatus according to claim 3 wherein a pair of spaced sprockets is located at each end of said beam on a common shaft, a chain interconnects a sprocket of each pair forming an endless path to transmit rotational movement of a sprocket on one end of said beam to a sprocket on the other end of said beam, and means interconnect said trolley and said chains to transmit movement of said chains to said trolley.
 5. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said arm is pivotally connected to said trolley for movement about an axis which is perpendicular to the movement of said trolley along said boom.
 6. An apparatus for removing substances from a liquid bath comprising a boom extending in a generally horizontal direction; means to vertically move said boom; a trolley mounted for movement on said boom, said trolley being movable horizontally along the length of said boom; an arm connected to said trolley and extending in a generally vertical direction; scraping means connected to said arm, said means being movable through an arc of at least 90 degrees from a generally vertical position to a generally horizontal position.
 7. The apparatus set out in claim 6 including means to pivotally connect said arm to said trolley.
 8. The apparatus set out in claim 6 wherein said boom is a cantilever connected to said means to vertically Move said boom.
 9. The apparatus set out in claim 8 including means to simultaneously rotate said boom and said means to vertically move said boom through a given angle about a vertical axis.
 10. The apparatus set out in claim 6 wherein said scraper means comprises a generally flat blade, means to pivotally connect said blade to said arm, and means to pivot said generally flat blade from a position in which it is generally parallel to said boom to a position in which it is generally perpendicular to said boom. 